The LG Weekly News Roundup: 7.1.10

Missed the big travel stories of the week? And the weird, wacky and insignificant ones? We’ve got your roundup right here….

Oil Spill Pushes Tourists North
This certainly doesn’t make up for the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster’s impact on Gulf Coast tourism, but there is at least one silver lining for East Coast businesses: A surge of travelers are flocking to northeastern beaches after canceling southern vacations because of the spill. No official data has been collected, but hoteliers and restaurant owners in North Carolina, Virginia and Delaware all say they have guests who booked specifically to avoid oil.
Source: Washington Examiner

Airline Food Crawls with Germs
This is disgusting: Recently released FDA inspections said that three major airline caterers prepare food for flights in conditions that are both “unsanitary and unsafe.” We’re talking mice, cockroaches, moldy fridges, and dirty equipment. That’s just one more reason to pick up a salad in the terminal before take off.
Source: The Jetpacker

Passport Fees to Spike
Hurry up and get that passport renewed: Starting July 13, the government will hike fees for the document from the current (already expensive) $100 rate to $135 for adults. Even worse for jet-setters, extra visa pages, which used to be free, will now jump to $82. So, if you’re just running out of room for stamps, it might be worth it to pony up for a brand new passport.
Source: USA Today

Shop the Tropics
For anyone who needs an excuse to indulge in some retail therapy, the U.S. Virgin Islands are hosting a major shopping promotion July 24 – August 1st. With the package, score $1500 in savings in St. Thomas on everything from concert tickets to restaurant meals to a VIP shopping bag. Bonus: If you’re a U.S. citizen and don’t want to pony up for a new passport yet, you won’t need one to fly to the islands.
Source: USVI Tourism

Meet the Lost Girls!

We're three New Yorkers who ditched our media jobs to embark on a yearlong, round-the-world journey in search of adventure and inspiration. To find out what prompted us to leave everything familiar behind, click here